The Mediating Role of Environmental Awareness in the Relationship between Environmental Education and Climate Change Preparedness among University Students

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Climate change increasingly threatens vulnerable regions such as Bangladesh, making university students' preparedness for environmental risks a pressing concern. This study examined whether environmental awareness mediates the relationship between environmental education and climate change preparedness among 380 university students and explored demographic differences in environmental education, environmental awareness, and climate change preparedness. Using Hayes' PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples, results showed that environmental education significantly predicted environmental awareness (β = .431, p&lt;.001), which in turn significantly predicted preparedness (β = .589, p&lt;.001). The indirect effect confirmed that awareness mediates this relationship, as the direct effect of education on preparedness remained significant (β = .246) despite the substantial reduction from the total effect (β = .500). Demographic comparisons revealed no significant differences by gender, department, or residential area, whereas formal coursework enrollment, climate event participation, and year of study significantly differentiated outcomes, with senior and postgraduate students showing the strongest awareness and preparedness. These findings highlight environmental awareness as a critical psychological pathway linking education to action, with direct implications for climate-focused curriculum design in higher education.</p>